Fountain-pen.



PATBNTED MAR. 24, 1908-.- G. W. PERKS & P; G. THAOKBR.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 6, 1902.

H0 MODEL Fay. 1.

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UNITED STATES P TENT C FICE.

GEORGE W. PERKS AND FREDERICK CHARLES THACKER, OF

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

FOUNTAIN-PEN.

QPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,726, dated March24,

Application filed Decembcr'fi, 1902. Serial No. 134,146. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

PERKS, engineer, of Selwood, Strensham Hill, Moseley, Birmingham, andFREDERICK CHARLES THAcKEn', stationer, of cornwan street, Bir mingham,England, subjects of the King of Great Britain, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Fountain- Pens, of which the followingisa specification.

This invention has relation to fountain or reservoir pens, and has forits object toprovide such pens with efficient and self-contained meansfor filling or charging the inkreservoir without it being necessary tofirst remove or detach the nib-plug or nib-holder from the body of thepen.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a complete longitudinalvertical section of a reservoir or fountain pen provided with refillingmeans constructed and arranged in accordance with our invention, thesaid view showing the several parts in the positions they assume whenthe pen is in use. Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view of the pen to thatrepresented in Fig. 1, but shows the relative positions of the partswhen the inkreservoir is being charged or refilled with ink.

Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6.1'epresent cross-sectional views of the pen, taken,respectively, on the dotted line 00, m 00 and to, Fig. 2. Figs. 7, 8, 9,and 10 represent longitudinal sectional views of detail parts of the penseparately.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral figures of the drawings.

The improved pen consists of a body-tube or hollow stem at, the interiorof which serves as a reservoir for ink and which has a double stepped orshouldered neck on the outer circumference at the after end. The largerpart a of this neck is adapted to receive the month end of adetachablecap or sheath 1) for normally inclosing a tubular and elastic air-sackor flexible thin-walled bag 0, one end of which is closed, while theother and open end fits tightly onto the extreme tip or smaller part aof the stepped after end of the reservoir, while located inside the saidbag or air-sack and at a short distance from the mouth is an internalcollar or choke c, which is sprung into an annular groove 6, formedaround the headed or enlarged end 6 of a long and open- Be it known thatwe, GEORGE WILLIAM- ended small-bore air-tube 6, extending cen trallywithin the inside of the ink-reservoir and having a sliding fit withinan axial hole a which is bored through the stepped after end of the saidreservoir. A clearance or space is left between the extreme end of thereservoir and the headed end of the air-tube, and the flexibility of theportion of the airsack marked a coming between the internal collar andthe mouth admits of the said part being collapsed or gusseted under endpressure, and so allows the said inner tube to make a limited"longitudinal sliding movement to and fro :within the hollow neck of thereservoir for the purpose hereinafter described and also provides for aspring reaction which returns the air-sack and the airtube connectedwith it to their normal positions, as shown in Fig. 1, after a forwardmovement has been given to the air-tube. small hole a is formed throughthe walls of the said tube near. to the head end, but within theink-reservoir, and this hole constitutes an airway wherethrough air maypass from the reservoir-space within the interior of the body-tube intothe small bore, which serves as a duct through which air is expelledwhen the air-sack is compressed when the parts are in the positionsshown in Fig.2.

The nibfis fitted to or carried by a plug g, which has an internalshoulder against which the inner end of the nib abuts and is screwedinto the open forward end. of the body-tube, the screwed-in shank of thesaid plug having a'small axial hole g coinciding with the bore of theair-tube, whose forward end normally stands a short distance away fromthe said hole in the plug, as shown in, Fig. 1,"but

lies within a counterbored seating or recess g formed in the inner endof the plug, and having a she coned or domed part 9 which serves as aguide forcentering thefore end of the air-tube relative to the hole g inthe nibplug g. The forward or outer end of the plug is bored out axiallyto receive the circular stem or shank h of a vulcanite nib-carrier h, bywhich the nib is held in position, and whose innerend abuts against theperforated end of the plug, while the top side of the same is providedwith an ink channel or gutter 72. running from the rear to near the foreend and passing underneath the said nib for conveying ink to its point,communication being made between the said channel and the central holein the plug by a small vertical slot or upright groove 7L3, formed inthe back end of the carrier-stem, so that there is always communicationbetween the ink-channel in the carrier and the passage through thenibplug whatever may be the relative positions of the carrier within theplug. By arranging for the nib-carrier to abut against the end of thebored-out hole in the plug the said carrier is made to always assume adefinite position relative to the nib and a steady or regular flow ofink to the nib is insured.

The forward end of the plug has a neck g onto which a nib-sheath cap orprotector i sockets when the pen is not in use. Preferably thisprotector is of such diameter internally as will admit of its beingfitted or placed onto the reduced or necked end b ofv the airsack sheathhwhen the pen is in use.

To fill the reservoir of the pen with ink, both the nib-cap t' and theair-sack sheath 1) are removed, and then the headed after end of theair-tube is pushed forward or toward the nib of the pen by the thumb andfinger, so as to take the forward end fully home within the internalseating or recess of the nib-plug, and by its abutment against the conedpart of this plug the said forward end of the air-tube is centered orbrought coinci dent with the axial filling-hole in the said plug,whereby a continuous and direct airpassage is established between theair-sack and the outside of the pen by way of the air tube, the holethrough the nib-plug, and the ink-passages in the nib-carrier. Theair-sack is then compressed between the finger and thumb, as shown inFig. 2, so as to expel most of the air, and while the parts are held inthese positions the nib end of the pen is dipped into an ink-pot orother vessel containing ink. The finger-pressure against the headed endof the air-tube is now relieved, and by the spring reaction of the partc of the flexible walls of the air-sack the forward end of the said tubeis taken away from the hole in the recessed inner end of the nib-plugand at the same time the finger-pressure is removed from the air-sack,which thereupon expands or resumes its normal form, and the suctionthereby created draws air from the reservoirspace into the air-sack byway of the small hole 6 in the air-tube, and to fill up the partialvacuum thus createdin the reservoir ink is forced up the channel in thenib-carrier and through the axial hole in the nib-plug into the saidreservoir and is made to occupy the space previously filled by exhaustedair, and at each repetition of this cycle of operations (involving amovement of the sliding air-tn be up to and away from the hole in thenib-plug) air is expelled from the air-sack by way of the air-tube andthe passages in nib plug and carrier and is replaced by more airreservoir through the central hole in the plug.

and the channel in the nib-carrier to the under side of the nib, whichis kept continuously supplied with ink until the charge in the reservoirhas been used up.

The self contained filling or recharging means herein described issimple, effective, and rapid in its action and does not increase theweight or bulk of the pen or impair its utility as a writinginstrunient.Further, as the whole of the parts are practically unbreakable theimproved filling device is not liable to become deranged by use, whileby making the device as a self-contained and fixed or non-detachablepart of the pen it is prevented from being lost, as frequently ocours inthe case of loose or separate filling devices.

It is obvious that a light auxiliary spring may be interposed betweenthe head of the air-tube and the necked end of, the ink-reservoir toassist in drawing back the air-tube when finger-pressure on the air-sackis relieved.

Having fully described our invention, what we desire to claim and secureby Letters Patent is 1. In a fountain or reservoir pen; a selfcontainedfilling or charging means consisting of a sliding air-tube, an elasticor compressible and expansible air-sack located on the outside of theink-reservoir and connected therewith, which tube is directed throughthe reservoir and communicates with the interior t hereof through themedium of an airhole, and its forward end being adapted to be broughtagainst a passage leading into the reservoir, or formed through thenib-plug of the pen, thus to establish a temporary but directcommunication between the air-sack and the outside air, the said partsbeing arranged and operated substantially in the manner and for thepurposes herein described.

2. In a fountain or reservoir pen; a selfcontained filling or chargingmeans consisting of a sliding air-tube directed through theink-reservoir, communicating with the interior of the said reservoir byway of an air-hole, and connected at its external end to an elastic orcompressible and expansible air-sack which is also attached to the bodyof the pen, the said connection between the tube and the sack being madeat a distance inward of the mouth of the latter, thereby leaving aportion of the walls of the said sack free to be 001- lapsed or gussetedunder end pressure to allow for the forward movement of the air-tube andto provide for the return of the said tube to its normal position whenend pressure is relieved,the several parts being arranged and operatedsubstantially in the manner and for the purposes herein described.

3. In a fountain or reservoir pen; the combination with a pen-bodyhaving an internal ink-reservoir, of an elastic or collapsible andexpansible air-sack made fast to the after end of the said body,.asliding and perforated airtube working through a hole in the said afterend and having its outer part connected to the inside of the air-sack ata distance in ward of the mouth of the latter, and a nibplug attached tothe forward end of the said body and having a hole or passage leading tothe outside of the reservoir and a seating or recess for centering theforward end of the airtube relative to the said passage; the severalparts being arranged, combined and adapted to operate substantially asand for the purposes herein described.

4. In a fountain or reservoir pen; the combination with an ink-reservoirand an airtube arranged therein, of a nib-plug having a bored orhollowouter end, an axial hole leading from the said bored part into theink-reservoir, and a nib-carrier, the stem of which is adapted to abutagainst the inner wall of the bore of the plug, and is provided with anink-channel running along its top side and I extending into orcommunicating with said axialhole of the nib-plug, coincident with thebore of the air-tube, substantially as and for the purpose hereindescribed and set forth.

5. A fountain-pen comprising an ink-reservoir,an air-tube slidablymounted therein and communicating therewith, a nib-plug forcommunication with the external air, and

means for actuating the air-tube first to cause and communicatingtherewith,a nib-plug hav ing communication with the external air, andmeans for projecting the air-tube into engage ment with the nib-plug toestablish a passageway between it and the nib-plug, and then to retractit to cause it to draw ink into the reser- VOlI'.

7. A fountain-pen comprising an ink-reservoir, an air-tube slidablymounted therein and communicating therewith,a nib-plughavingcommunication with the external air, and an elastic air-bulb connectedwith the ink-reservoir and the air-tube and operating upon compressionto establish a passage-Way between the air-tube and the nib-tube andupon release to draw ink into the reservoir.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:.

HENRY SKERRETT, ARTHUR Y. SADLER.

